MCCPS Board of Trustees
Minutes
MCCPS Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday June 27, 2023 at 7:00 PM
Location
17 Lime Street
Marblehead, MA
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/98355446062?pwd=bVg2VzE4bEZUVXJqY0R4UlJnVmZ1dz09
Meeting ID: 983 5544 6062
Passcode: MCCPSbot
Trustees Present
Carol McEnaney, Ian Hunt, Jessica Xiarhos, Katie Holt (remote), Lindsay Smith, Nick Santoro, Paul Baker, William Rockwell
Trustees Absent
Jessica Gelb, Rodolphe Herve, Tim Wadlow
Guests Present
Jeff Lewis, Kathy Santoro, Kim Nothnagle, Thomas Phillips
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
William Rockwell called a meeting of the board of trustees of MCCPS Board of Trustees to order on Tuesday Jun 27, 2023 at 7:08 PM.
C.
Approve Minutes from 6/7 Community Info. Session
William Rockwell made a motion to approve the minutes from the 6/7/20223 Community Information forum on the condition that the corrections outlined below be made to the Community Information Forum on 06-07-23.
Paul Baker seconded the motion.
- Katie was listed as absent- was remoteÂ
- Megan Hale misspelledÂ
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
D.
Approve Minutes from 6/6 Monthly Board Meeting
William Rockwell made a motion to approve the minutes from Monthly Board Meeting on 06-06-23.
Nick Santoro seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
E.
Approve Minutes from 4/12 Special Board Meeting
William Rockwell made a motion to approve the minutes from Special Board Meeting on 04-18-23.
Paul Baker seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
F.
Approve Minutes from 3/28 Monthly Board Meeting
William Rockwell made a motion to approve the minutes from MCCPS Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting on 03-28-23.
Nick Santoro seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
II. Opening Comments From Chair
A.
Opening Comments
- Paul thanked Jeff, Kathy, Kim and Thomas for their interest in joining the MCCPS Board of Trustees.
III. Public Comment
A.
Public Comment
- Thomas thanked the Board of Trustees for its consideration of his and the others' candidacy.
IV. Board Annual Items
A.
Upcoming Meeting Agenda Items
- Board Retreat scheduled for 8/12
V. Interview Board Candidates
A.
Potential Board Member Interview: Jeff Lewis
- Jeff spoke of his background
- Parent of incoming fourth grader, teacher
- Works in child welfare law
- Interested in giving back, saw flyer seeking Board members at bingo night
- Shared what he can contribute to the Board
- Ability to help institution avoid issues that could get DCS involvement... can help craft solutions to remediate issues-
- Katie- what made you apply to MCCPS for your daughter?
- Tilly went to St Andrews in MHD where they experienced family philosophy... want to spend time with my daughter and it's a fleeting moment... advocate of project based learning
- Ian- biggest challenges facing school?
- Jeff- HOS- need to find right person... leaders listen, instruct and push things down to lowest level for execution
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board appoint Jeff Lewis as a member of the MCCPS Board of Trustees to fill a term commencing immediately upon approval by Department of Elementary and secondary Education and expiring three (3) years from the date of DESE approval.
Jessica Xiarhos seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board invite the newly appointed Trustee, Jeff Lewis, to all Board Meetings and activities while his approval is pending with the Department of Elementary and secondary education. Jeff will be entitled to participate as provisional Trustee and will be able to participate in all activities and discussions, except voting, until the formal approval from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and will not be counted when determining a quorum.
Lindsay Smith seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
B.
Potential Board Member Interview: Kathy Santoro
- Kathy spoke of her background
- Grew up in MHD, attended Bell, all 3 kids attended MCCPS
- Retiring in Nov, interested in doing something meaningful
- Currently at Harvard in HR department, led COVID response for Arts and Sciences... many years of exp. in HR
- Promised her kids they'd get attention at school, not just sit in lines quietly, has volunteered at MCCPS in the past
- Lindsay- one thing that excited me is the idea of protecting Charter's mission/essence... how do you see yourself in this role protecting the charter mission?
- Would like to be involved in staffing decisions... don't want a HOS to leave on bad terms, which has happened in the past
- Katie- what are your thoughts on institutional knowledge and how one balances what's been versus what changes can drive us forward?
- Kathy- COVID has affected decision making process, now new leaders are trying to get their footing and people are often uncomfortable with these changes
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board appoint Kathy Santoro as a member of the MCCPS Board of Trustees to fill a term commencing immediately upon approval by Department of Elementary and secondary Education and expiring three (3) years from the date of DESE approval.
Paul Baker seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Abstain
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board invite the newly appointed Trustee, Kathy Santoro, to all Board Meetings and activities while her approval is pending with the Department of Elementary and secondary education. Kathy will be entitled to participate as provisional Trustee and will be able to participate in all activities and discussions, except voting, until the formal approval from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and will not be counted when determining a quorum.
Lindsay Smith seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Abstain
|
C.
Potential Board Member Interview: Thomas Phillips
- Thomas spoke of his background
- Carol's son, involved in MCCPS community since nearly beginning, graduated 2009
- Worked for nearly decade for YMCA, JCC, summer camps, outdoor ed.
- Opened Island Roots Camp group in Oct. 2020 and now have the time to give back... MCCPS at cross roads with HOS moving on
- Katie- what committee/niche do you think you'd fit best with?
- Thomas- generalist, long-term/big-picture thinker, willing to commit to committee that BOT sees as best fit
- Jess- as alum, what was important to you as HOS and what would you say is important looking back?
- Thomas- HOS who's part of community, strong captain for students that could set tone for what the community is, someone who supports faculty
- Lindsay- do you feel you have time/space for more than just monthly Board meeting?
- Thomas- I do... I'd like to be involved and see value in immersing myself in the school
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board appoint Thomas Phillips McEnaney as a member of the MCCPS Board of Trustees to fill a term commencing immediately upon approval by Department of Elementary and secondary Education and expiring three (3) years from the date of DESE approval.
Lindsay Smith seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Abstain
|
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board invite the newly appointed Trustee, Thomas Phillips McEnaney, to all Board Meetings and activities while his approval is pending with the Department of Elementary and secondary education. Thomas will be entitled to participate as provisional Trustee and will be able to participate in all activities and discussions, except voting, until the formal approval from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and will not be counted when determining a quorum.
Ian Hunt seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Abstain
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
D.
Potential Board Member Interview: Kimberly Nothnagel
- Kim spoke of her background
- Parent of two incoming 6th graders
- Don't have background in education but have worked in adult ed., worked at a zoo
- Overarching theme- bringing people together towards common goals
- All of these alumni that come back are testament to Charter's mission to building adults that are ready to give back... sense of community is something I hope to be a part of fostering at MCCPS
- Lindsay- do you see many Charter families through your work with SPUR?
- Kim- yes, lots of MCCPS families come work with us so I've had the opportunity to meet with many of them... find a lot of value in the nonprofit world and see the commitment to community as a differentiator between MCCPS 8th grader vs others
- Kim- community service is a big part of MCCPS but it isn't necessarily talked about...
- food insecurity doesn't have zip code- spoke of food pantry
- fundraising trending down for approx. 4 years- COVID had complex impact on nonprofits
- Lindsay- interest in development/comms or does this mean you'd want a break from it?
- Kim- fundraising is tough but I think that it's a necessary evil...
- Paul- we haven't done a great job of telling our story ourselves
- Kim- fundraising is balance between telling the story and meaningful financial ed. for those doing fundraising- the thing about fundraising is that everybody is part of it
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board appoint Kim Nothnagel as a member of the MCCPS Board of Trustees to fill a term commencing immediately upon approval by Department of Elementary and secondary Education and expiring three (3) years from the date of DESE approval.
Jessica Xiarhos seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
William Rockwell made a motion to move that the Board invite the newly appointed Trustee, Kim Nothnagel, to all Board Meetings and activities while her approval is pending with the Department of Elementary and secondary education. Kim will be entitled to participate as provisional Trustee and will be able to participate in all activities and discussions, except voting, until the formal approval from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and will not be counted when determining a quorum.
Katie Holt seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
VI. HOS Report
A.
Monthly Report
- Please see attached HOS Report for full report
- Enrollment
- Currently projected 187-201 with 14 offers out
- Tours scheduled with several potential students
- No waitlists at any grade
- Currently projected 187-201 with 14 offers out
- Budget
- Formerly based on 210, new version based on enrollment of 200 that, with some personnel changes, keeps us $30k in the black
- Jeff Barry still revising drafts based on updated numbers
- French teacher has given notice- therefore exploring whether to keep the full-time position (relocating to all-French school in Boston)
- Impacted students: 37 across 6th-8th grades
- $35k in budget for admin support- current admin roles (admissions, requesting records, etc.) being handled by one person (formerly 4)
- Lindsay- wary of cutting admin, as leadership structure hinges on support being able to carry non-educational load
- Stephanie- already stretched thin on admin side
- Thomas- could reach out to alumni to gauge interest in teaching French or explore self study options for those students...
- Kathy- is biggest issue paying this person of finding them?
- Stephanie- currently, the issue is finding someone
- French teacher has given notice- therefore exploring whether to keep the full-time position (relocating to all-French school in Boston)
- Jeff Barry still revising drafts based on updated numbers
- Formerly based on 210, new version based on enrollment of 200 that, with some personnel changes, keeps us $30k in the black
- Staffing update
- Two new hires, Claire Hunt (7th Math/Science) and Michael McCarthy (5th Humanities)
- Verbal commitments from both
- Claire is former MCCPS teacher
- Still need Special Ed teacher for Grade 5 (combining Special Ed liaisons for Grades 6/7)
- Generally quite confident in teaching staff- lots of continuity, strong structure
- School counseling position still TBH but applicant pool is strong
- Marketing/PR
- Currently have $5k budgeted for marketing/PR, Stephanie has written out performance tasks to be done on this
- Stephanie- this is a priority, as marketing is currently being done on ad-hoc basis
- Meeting scheduled with Flatrock Creative for 6/29, will post/vet other contractors for this area
- Thomas- Final Site is another option and I know Tower works with them
- Kim- marketing skills/website mgmt. is a skill that many students have and it may be worth the up-front effort of helping students contribute to this
- Two new hires, Claire Hunt (7th Math/Science) and Michael McCarthy (5th Humanities)
- Summer Happenings
- Leadership team meetings 7/8, 7/18, 7/27
- Admin team attending leadership conference in August
- Summer facility work- landscaping, painting, est. use of outdoor spaces adjacent to the school
- Student/staff Handbook reviews
- Ian volunteered the Board to do some landscaping work outside the 5/6th grade hallway, deck/garden abutting the 7th grade rooms
VII. New HOS Search Process
A.
New HOS Search Process
- Core HOS Recruitment team met Saturday and decided to explore headhunter opportunities, update Performance Tasks and take time defining hiring process
- Updates to come during Board Retreat
- Kathy volunteered to assist with HOS process
VIII. Extension of Officer Terms
A.
Vote re: Current Officer Terms through 8/30
William Rockwell made a motion to extend current Board & Committee Officer terms through 8/30.
Nick Santoro seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
IX. Strategic Plan Extension
A.
Vote to extend the current Strategic Plan
William Rockwell made a motion to extend MCCPS' existing Strategic Plan to expire at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Paul Baker seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
X. Committee Updates
A.
Governance Committee
- Met this month
- Discussed Board composition
- Abundance in education, deficits in people with Facilities background, development and finance
- New members may help remediate this
- Abundance in education, deficits in people with Facilities background, development and finance
- 13 members excluding Interim HOS as ex-officio
- Stephanie to be added as ex-officio in BMMS
- Can be picky given our max of 15
- Discussed Board composition
B.
Finance Committee
- Met this month
- With one month to go, we will end up the year in the black given current stable enrollment and PPE levels (and can therefore expect another contribution to the Board-restricted fund)
- The transition of former HoS is now complete with all monies taken out of the Board-restricted fund. Legal fees of $20k should be final for this matter.
C.
Personnel Committee
- Didn't meet this month
- Do need members
D.
Academic Excellence
- Voted to extend current goals
E.
Development & Communications
- Didn't meet this month
- Lindsay and Meghan will meet this week (will include Thomas and Kim as well)
F.
Strategic Plan Committee
- Didn't meet this month
- On hiatus for time being
G.
Facilities Task Force
- Didn't meet this month, as absence of HOS has this project at standstill
- Jeff Barry volunteered to join Facilities Task Force to help keep some momentum on this
XI. Public Comment
A.
Public Comment
- N/A
XII. Board Member Comments and Resolutions
A.
Board Member Comments and Resolutions
- MCCPS Board of Trustees members introduced themselves to new members, sharing a bit about their background & why they joined the Board
XIII. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
Katie Holt made a motion to Adjourn.
William Rockwell seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Ian Hunt |
Aye
|
| Nick Santoro |
Aye
|
| Jessica Gelb |
Absent
|
| Paul Baker |
Aye
|
| Rodolphe Herve |
Absent
|
| Katie Holt |
Aye
|
| Carol McEnaney |
Aye
|
| Jessica Xiarhos |
Aye
|
| William Rockwell |
Aye
|
| Lindsay Smith |
Aye
|
| Tim Wadlow |
Absent
|
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 10:00 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
William Rockwell
Documents used during the meeting
None